Taverham man who has made a business out of flipping pancakes

Bringing crepes to the streets of Norwich, Chris Smith from Taverham with his distinctive Citreon Van in Davey Place. Photo: Steve Adams

While many of us may make pancakes just once a year on Shrove Tuesday, for Taverham man Chris Smith they are a full-time job.

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Bringing crepes to the streets of Norwich, Chris Smith from Taverham with his distinctive Citreon Van in Davey Place. Photo: Steve Adams

Mr Smith’s love of pancakes inspired him to set up his own creperie, and as his venture grew he decided to leave his job as a gas engineer for the National Grid to pursue his pancake business - Christophe’s - full-time.

He is now a familiar face at Davey Place in Norwich where from Thursday to Sunday he can be found making sweet and savoury crepes in his specially converted 1952 fire engine from France. He also has a traditional mobile creperie from France too.

He said: “I have just always loved pancakes. I have had them all around Italy and France, and I thought it would be a good idea to have a creperie in Norwich.

“I started off doing weddings and festivals at weekends and I ended up working seven days a week, and it got to the point where I had to choose between my job and this.”

He said while he really enjoyed working at National Grid, he decided he wanted to see how far he could take his business venture.

He has been based at Davey Place since September and said it was a great place to work.

“It is a nice street to be in. Everyone is really friendly and there is lots going on. Even since I first started here there have been new places opening up like Patisserie Valerie and Cath Kidston,” he said.

Mr Smith said he enjoys experimenting with different flavours for the crepes and changes his menu quite regularly.

Currently his favourite sweet crepe is one he has named The UFO and which has a filling of Galaxy bar, Milky Way and “intergalactic martianmallows.”

His favourite savoury one is a Pizza Crepe which includes cheese, ham, spinach and tomato.

Other crepes on his current menu include The Paddington (with marmalade or jam), the Nutty Monkey (Nutella and banana), Popeye (cheese and spinach), and Green Giant (sweetcorn and cheese), and he also does the classics such as lemon and sugar, and maple syrup.

• Visit www.christophes.co.uk

• Do you have a story from Norwich’s retail scene? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk

I'm confused..He has makes a living from making pancakes. But he makes Crepe's which are similar to pancakes. But not pancakes!!!!!! Crepe's are thinner, less fluffy & made from a different type of batter to a pancake.